Nyondo to introduce tractors as a tool of farming

National Salvation Front (NaSaF) Party President James Nyondo announced that through the Alabama-Malawi Investment Partnership Council, he will introduce Agriculture Mechanization-Tractor Initiative where tractors will be distributed to farmers at a club level across the country to do away with a hoe as the major tool of farming after 50 years of independence.

Nyondo briefed reporters in Lilongwe on Tuesday evening that tractors will be given at a club level where farmers will be able to access.

“A tractor can make a difference to farmers. It can do many things including reducing labour, work, can be done within a short period and there can be increase in productivity,” he said.

He said for a longtime, 50 years since independence, Malawi is still facing a lot of socio-economic challenges like blackouts, health problems, water and food shortages. The nation’s poverty levels are still high.

James Nyondo, a lawyer educated in the United States and South Africa, is running for president of on a platform of integrity and justice for all

“Since 1964, the United States of America (USA) and other donors have been assisting Malawi financially but the funds have not done the intended purposes. We want to bring change through the partnership and make a People to People engagement rather than through government to government,” said Nyondo.

Nyondo said the tractors will be introduced at farmers’ club level and the first phase of the launch will take place Thursday.

“NASAF want to empower people directly, People to People is Nasaf’s agenda for Malawi. We have seen that Government to Government has not provided people’s desires. We want to stop donor dependency syndrome,” he said.

Nyondo said the clubs will be ready from May 20 2014 and the farmers will pay some little money for the tractors.

USA-based Alabama-Malawi Investment Partnership Council’s Chief Executive Officer Andy Barr leading a team of US delegation comprising of doctors, businessmen, said through the partnership, there will be transformation of the people’s lives because the assistance will reach them directly.

“There will be direct connections between people of Malawi and America in Agriculture, business, health among others,” he said.

Meanwhile, there will be a launch of the Tractor Initiative where a tractor will be given to a club starting from Thursday in Chikwawa, Friday in Mulanje and on Sartuday at Nsaru in Lilongwe.